Potato-digger.



PATENTED OCT. 24, 1906.

A. GAGNON. POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1%. 1904.

AUGUST GAGNON, OF FORESTLAKE, MINNESOTA.

FOTATO-DIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed July 14, 1904. Serial No. 216,543.

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, Aneusr GAGNON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Forestlake, in the county of Washington and State ofMinnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPotato-Diggers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of potato-digger, the objectbeing to provide a simple and efficient machine by means of which thepotatoes can be dug from the ground, thoroughly separated from theearth, and elevated and conveyed to baskets or other suitablereceptacles.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a machine which willtake up the potatoes without elevating any considerable quantity ofearth; and another object is to provide a machine capable of operatingin the manner herein described which can be drawn by an ordinary teamand which will require the attention of the driver and only one otherperson to remove the baskets or other receptacles as they become filled.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel featuresof construction, combination, and arrangement, all of which will befully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claim.

1n the drawings forminga part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation of the potato-digger constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section. Fig. i is a section on the line 4c 4: of

Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the case or frame, supported uponthe rear wheels B and the front wheels 0.

D indicates the opening-plow, connected to the standard D, which isadapted to be raised or lowered by means of the lever D connected to thelink D, which in turn connects 'to the standard D.

1) indicates the thumb-lever, and D the toothed segment adapted to beengaged by said lever, and D indicates the drivers seat.

E indicates the digger proper, which is preferably composed of a seriesof strands of wire wound spirally around the longitudinal rods E, and itwill be noted that the wire strands terminate at different points, asshown at E E and E, thereby making the forward end of said spiral diggersomewhat after the manner of an ordinary auger, said forward end of thedigger being adapted to dig into the hill opened bythe plow and catchthe potatoes upon the said spirally-arranged strands.

The digger E is surrounded by toothed rings F, guided by rollers (Jr,connected to the frame, said rings being engaged by gears F, driven fromthe rear axles. thereby imparting the proper rotary motion to thespirally constructed digger E. The potatoes caught up by the digger Eare carried rearwardly and upwardly and dropped into the pockets H ofthe elevator H, which consists of a hollow ring arranged at the rear endof the case and subdivided in a series of radial pockets, into which thepotatoes drop from the digger E, and as this ring H rotates the potatoesare carried up and dropped into the delivery-chute I. A toothed ring Kis arranged upon the exterior of the elevator H, and passing around thesame is the sprocketchain L, which receives its power from thesprocket-wheel M, mounted upon the shaft M and meshing with a beveledgear 1V mounted upon a shaft M and carrying a sprocket-wheel M at itsend, which receives its power from the sprocket-chain M driven by thewheel M", mounted upon the rear axle. The delivery-chute 1 extendstoward the forward end of the frame and inclines downwardly toward theforward end, and adjacent to said forward end is a gate I, operated bythe hand-lever 1 by means of which the potatoes can be directed, througheither of the side openings 1, to baskets or other receptacles arrangedupon the suitable supports .I upon the sides of the frame or case. Thusit will be seen that by properly adjusting the plow the hills are openedand the spirallyconstrueted digger will engage the said hill by itsforward end, lifting the potatoes and sifting the earth therefrom, whichearth drops through between the Wire strands, and the potatoes aredelivered throughly cleaned to the elevating-ring, which carries themupwardly and drops them into the delivery-chute and by means of whichthey are guided into the collecting-basket or other receptacle. As

soon as the basket becomes filled it is removed and another one put inits place.

Having thus fully described my invention, purpose described, thelongitudinal ribs and What I claim as new, and desire to secure by theencircling hands, all arranged substan- Letters Patent, istially asdescribed.

In a potato-digger, an elevating-digger com- AUGUST GAGNON. 5 posed of aplurality of Wire strands'wound Witnesses:

spirally and terminating at different points at R. T. BOARDMAN,

the forward end, said ends being free for the HILDRED YOUNGREN.

